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Winners and Losers of NFL Week 14 The Ringer
Winners: Chiefs magic
All proper, I quit. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are a group that defies logical evaluation. All the numbers recommend that this group is nearer to mediocre than elite, and that it’s only a matter of time earlier than this extremely flimsy home of playing cards comes crashing down. Each week, we stroll away saying “they will’t preserve getting away with this,” just for Kansas Metropolis to get away with it once more.
This week’s win felt like a merciless joke by the soccer gods. For a quick sliver of time—I’m speaking fractions of a second—it appeared the Chiefs would lose like a lot of their opponents have this season, when Matthew Wright’s 31-yard, game-winning discipline objective try banked off the left upright. However then the refs raised their arms, Mike Tirico belted out “a doink for the division,” and the conclusion that it occurred once more set in. It doinked, sure, but it surely doinked via the uprights.
NFL top-10 rankings: Lions preserve high spot: Eagles, Chiefs rise; Payments tumble | FOX Sports activities
3. Chiefs
The defending champs proceed to search out varied methods to knock off high opponents. Whether or not it’s a bank-shot discipline objective with 0:00 on the clock or an inconceivable bounce that goes their approach, the Chiefs’ success and excellent execution have produced a 15-game successful streak in one-score contests. Given the nip-and-tuck nature of playoff video games, the Chiefs’ late-game mastery provides them an opportunity to finish the three-peat.
Sorting the Sunday Pile, NFL Week 14: Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs are blessed; NFC West shaping up for wild end | CBS Sports activities
And identical to the Patriots, the Chiefs preserve stacking wins week after week after week. They didn’t look their finest through the common season final 12 months, and it hardly mattered. Kelce and Mahomes elevated their efficiency through the postseason and while you’ve bought a scorching Chiefs offense coupled with a powerful protection and a run recreation that may end off groups within the second half, they’re a very tough group to beat.
Even when Kansas Metropolis runs right into a juggernaut from the opposite facet of the bracket — howdy, 49ers — they nonetheless have Mahomes there able to make some performs, to tug off the unattainable and discover a approach to win. It’s how one thing like 28-3 occurs — a bulldozer Falcons group performs an ideal half in opposition to New England, and it’s all eradicated as a result of, once more, Tom Brady.
This regular-season model of the Chiefs is unattainable to handicap. They need to be -7 in each recreation, however the odds for betting on them ought to be like 5-1. And their moneyline quantity ought to be one thing within the vary of -500. They in all probability gained’t cowl (they’re simply 5-8 on the season in opposition to the unfold) however they’re positively going to determine a approach to win.
For 99 p.c of NFL groups, it might be wildly unsustainable. We’d be dying to fade them within the first spherical of the playoffs, understanding the one-score recreation report was indicative of a fortunate group, a la the Vikings just a few years in the past after they bumped into Daniel Jones and the Giants. Or the Giants the week after understanding they have been fortunate too.
Highway to 272 Bets: NFL Week 15 Picks for Each Sport | SI
Chiefs vs. Browns Prediction
The Chiefs have proven they may discover methods to win video games, however they merely can’t cowl a diffusion, particularly as massive favorites. It is sensible when you think about how a lot worse they’re from a metrics standpoint than their 12-1 report signifies. They rank twentieth within the NFL in Web Yards per Play at -0.2, which is worse than the likes of the Titans and the identical mark because the Miami Dolphins.
Cleveland has a greater Web Yards per Play over their final three video games (+0.2) than the Chiefs do over those self same three video games (-0.8), but the Browns are set as vital underdogs.
Search for the Winston to Jeudy connection to get going on this recreation. The Chiefs rank twenty first in opponent dropback EPA and twentieth in opponent dropback success price this season.
I’ll take the Browns to cowl the unfold to trigger the Chiefs to maneuver to 0-8 ATS of their final eight video games.
Choose: Browns +4.5 (-110)
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2025 Free Company: OT Trent Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Trent Brown goes to be a dangerous signing for lots of groups. The 31-year-old tore his patellar tendon in Week 3 and gained’t be returning this season. His measurement is just going to make his restoration tougher, however the 6’8” deal with has all the time been a strong cross protector.
After watching Morris and Kingsley Suamataia battle to carry up this season, the Chiefs might see it as a worthwhile threat to offer Brown a possibility to get well, get in form and be a contributor on a contender.
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Newest First-round Predictions Getting into Week 15 | The thirty third Workforce
31. Kansas Metropolis ChiefsLuther Burden, WR, Missouri
Missouri Tigers vast receiver Luther Burden III (3) catches a landing cross throughout additional time in opposition to the Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Area at Memorial Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Photos
Peak: 5’11”Weight: 208 lbs.Class: Junior
Match: Luther Burden’s 2024 marketing campaign wasn’t anyplace close to as fruitful as his 2023 season — which put him squarely on the radar as a possible first-round draft alternative. Burden’s expertise continues to be apparent — however his improvement as a participant didn’t essentially take an enormous leap this season.
That leaves him as somebody who doubtless advantages from complimentary ability units within the vast receiver room; and Kansas Metropolis has bought a group of expertise to supply. Rashee Rice’s measurement and route operating and Xavier Worthy’s pace would pair with Burden’s run-after-catch capacity to create every kind of issues.
Professional Comp: Percy Harvin
Across the NFL
Monday Evening Soccer: Cowboys’ particular groups miscue palms Bengals 27-20 win | NBC Sports activities
The ghost of Leon Lett confirmed up at AT&T Stadium nearly 31 years to the day after the Cowboys defensive lineman’s blunder on a blocked Dolphins discipline objective try within the waning seconds that price Dallas the sport.
On Monday evening, Cowboys linebacker Nick Vigil blocked Ryan Rehkow’s punt on the play after the two-minute warning in a tie recreation. Cowboys cornerback Amani Oruwariye tried to choose up the ball and run with it and as an alternative Maema Njongmeta recovered for the Bengals on the Cincinnati 43.
The Cowboys would have had the ball in discipline objective vary for a Brandon Aubrey go-ahead kick. The Bengals as an alternative bought one other probability and three performs later have been in the long run zone on a 40-yard catch-and-run by Ja’Marr Chase.
The Bengals escaped with a 27-20 victory, and each groups now are 5-8.
The Vikings have an enormous Sam Darnold drawback | SB Nation
Sam Darnold was an issue for the Falcons on Sunday. In whole command of Kevin O’Connell’s offense, he turned a middling Atlanta secondary into his personal private playground, throwing for 347 yards and 5 touchdowns on a day the place there was merely no stopping him.
Sam Darnold has been an issue for the whole NFL this season. Boasting a 108.1 passer score this season, solely Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff have greater effectivity scores. There have solely been two video games this season wherein Darnold has completed with a score worse than 100.
Sam Darnold is an issue for the Minnesota Vikings. The long run choice they by no means anticipated they’d have to make — one destined to be a franchise-altering alternative, no matter which facet they land on. Reality be instructed, there’s no good reply for what Minnesota ought to do with Darnold, and herein lies the conundrum.
On Sunday morning ESPN’s Adam Schefter appeared on NFL Sunday Countdown and provided perception into the choice making behind the scenes, indicating that it appeared the Vikings have been on a course to half methods with Darnold.
Eagles’ Graham: Feedback on Hurts and Brown ‘a mistake’ | ESPN
Responding to Brown’s criticism of the passing recreation following Sunday’s slim dwelling win over the Carolina Panthers, Graham emphasised the significance of hashing issues out internally reasonably than via the media throughout his weekly radio present on 94 WIP. That’s when he steered Hurts and Brown aren’t tight the best way they as soon as have been.
“The person who’s complaining must be accountable,” Graham stated. “I don’t know the entire story, however I do know that [Hurts] is attempting and [Brown] might be a bit higher with how he responds to issues. They have been associates earlier than this, however issues have modified, and I perceive that as a result of life occurs. Nevertheless it’s the enterprise facet, that we have now to verify the private doesn’t get in the best way of the enterprise.”
Graham was reacting to Brown’s terse postgame feedback, wherein Brown stated “passing” was what the offense wants to enhance on and that “there’s not an excessive amount of dialog” between he and Hurts through the recreation to troubleshoot when the cross recreation isn’t totally clicking.
“I made a mistake and I assumed that it was one thing that it wasn’t,” Graham instructed ESPN. “I simply wish to win so dangerous that I don’t simply wish to use the media when we have to speak about one thing and we are able to repair the issue ourselves. I didn’t add to it in a superb gentle, in order that’s my dangerous.
“I simply assumed, and it made me out to look even worse as a result of I had all of it improper and now persons are going to run with that half. I actually simply wish to win, man, and I need brothers to have the ability to simply hash it out.”
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Delight
Chiefs Accidents: Andy Reid discusses D.J. Humphries, Joshua Williams
Throughout the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday evening, two Kansas Metropolis gamers left the sport with accidents through the fourth quarter. Cornerback Joshua Williams went to the locker room with a chest damage, whereas new left deal with D.J. Humphries left the sphere with what was reported to be a “tweaked hamstring.”
Reid stated he had no extra info on Williams — however then supplied a tiny little bit of it earlier than his typical Monday assembly with vp of sports activities drugs and efficiency Rick Burkholder.
“He did are available feeling higher immediately,” stated the pinnacle coach, “however I’ll meet with Rick right here after we’re carried out and see the place we’re at with all that.”
With regard to Humphries, the pinnacle coach stated the group is “proper in the midst of that course of.”
“We’ll see how he does,” allowed Reid. “He’s feeling a bit bit higher this morning, however we’ll see the place it goes from right here after he will get an MRI.”
This might recommend that Humphries’ damage is extra critical than first believed — or might additionally mirror due diligence by the medical employees. In any case, we’ll have to attend for extra info.
